Novak Djokovic‘s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title may have stalled, but his ability to remain at the heart of tennis’ biggest stages has not gone unnoticed.
At 38 years old, the Serbian continues to confound expectations, reaching the semifinals of all four majors this season despite competing in just a handful of tournaments.
For Andy Roddick, that is precisely what makes Djokovic‘s 2025 campaign so extraordinary.
“Time is undefeated. Novak has given it hell,” Roddick said on his Served podcast, just days after Djokovic‘s US Open semifinal defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
“It’s hard to kind of play part-time tennis, show up, and he makes the semis of the US Open. He played one tournament in May, one tournament in July, one tournament in September, and (made) three Grand Slam semifinals.”
Roddick, who knows firsthand the demands of life on the tour, could not hide his amazement.
“I was number one in the world, I never made three Grand Slam semifinals in a year. He did it in the last three months. It’s absurd what he’s done,” he said.
For more than a decade, Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal defined men’s tennis.
Now, with Federer retired and Nadal largely sidelined, the baton has been passed to Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Yet Djokovic still finds ways to push them deep into matches.
“Thirty-eight-year-old Novak, the third best player in the world,” Roddick noted. “And I don’t know how you argue around it; it’s absurd.”
Not everyone is convinced another Slam is within reach. Mats Wilander, the seven-time major winner turned analyst, has been blunt in assessing Djokovic‘s chances.
“He’s clearly not 100% physically. Without that, at 38, I don’t give him a chance to win another Grand Slam,” Wilander told CLAY and RG Media.
“Against these guys, he even needs another 5% from somewhere, something extra beyond what he has now. Today, he is the third-best player in the world, and he’s doing what he can.
“I love what he does, but right now it’s probably not good enough. Alcaraz and Sinner are just too good for him.”
Where Djokovic could still strike
Wilander believes that if Djokovic is to capture No. 25, it will likely come at one of his two strongest venues. “In Australia and Wimbledon,” he said, pointing to Melbourne as the likeliest stage.
Djokovic‘s connection to the Australian Open is unmatched: a 10-time champion, he has built a legacy there that may never be surpassed.
But in 2025, he retired from his semifinal against Alexander Zverev with injury, a reminder of how fragile his body has become. Wimbledon, too, has been fertile ground, though Alcaraz has wrestled away the crown in recent years.
For Djokovic, acknowledging the physical toll is now part of the journey. “I lost three out of four Slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, playing on a really high level,” he said after falling to Alcaraz in New York.
“Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set. That’s something I, at this point in my career, can’t control.”
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